1992 What they're saying about the mascot issue

"With technology such as it is today, this is not just an issue here in the United States. Can you imagine how people in Europe, Africa and South America view the US sporting scene? It should be an embarrassment to every American to be using Indian people for mascots." - Vernon Bellecourt, American Indian Movement

"In many cases, rituals are part of the ceremonies the tribes perform. But to do this thing generically really is an insult. If the San Diego Padres put a priest out there dangling a crucifix, I think the Catholic Church would take offense." - Mike Anderson, executive director, National American Congress of Indians. 

"I think America really does have a deeply racist past to deal with. When Frito Bandito and Little Black Sambo went by the wayside, we should have had the critical thinking to realize the other symbols in our culture are racist and eradicate them... I guess when the Indians lost all that land, they lost the meaning of Redskins with it. Now it means "Great football." " - Don Messec, National American Indian Congress. 

"It's a money issue. I wish people in the NFL and Major League Baseball would admit it's a money issue. People who talk about it being an honor and all that stuff, it's bulls." - John Rawlings, editor, The Sporting News. 

"As in any political struggle, there's always the pros and the cons. The feather headdresses (used at Kansas City Chiefs games) were made by the Cherokee Nation in Oklahoma, so if we stopped those, wed be taking away jobs." - Annie Young, American Indian Movement 

"It's shocking to see how far the consciousness of American society has to go in terms of sensitivity to Indian people and racism. When sportscasters on TV actually can use the term Redskin and not flinch, it's incredible. If you look in the dictionary, you realize that Redskin is synonymous with nigger and kike." - Fred Veilleux, Concerned American Indian Parents.

"I think it's a joke. When I saw the Washington Redskins, I'm not trying to slam Indians. If you're fighting with an Indian and you call him a racial slur, that's different than when you say, 'The Atalanta Braves.' - Charles Barkley, Phoenix Suns 

"People want to see the Raiders vs Chiefs. They don't want to see Raiders vs. Birds. There would definitely be a loss of marketability. It's not something we're really interested in doing" - Lamar Hunt, owner, Kansas City Chiefs.  [ Editor’s Note: What about the St Louis Cardinals, Atlanta Falcons, Philadelphia Eagles, Seattle Seahawks, Anaheim Ducks, Toronto Blue Jays, Baltimore Orioles or the Baltimore Ravens? ] 

"The difference is the Fighting Irish were named from the inside. We weren't given that opportunity. Maybe it was an honor 100 years ago, but the world has changed since then." - Tim Giago, editor, Lakota Times

"If there was any other race of people, this was being done to, it wouldn't even have gotten this far. We're still upset about it." - Ken Rhyne, American Indian Movement, executive director for Georgia and North Carolina.

"These team names, whether it's the NFL or major league baseball or other organized sports, do not convey anything demeaning. They have acquired a special and unique meaning affiliated with sports." - Paul Tagilabue, NFL Commissioner
1992 July 5, The Press Democrat 

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